Could a bacterium found in milk trigger rheumatoid arthritis?

A certain bacteria found in milk could play a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.

New research suggests that a bacterium found in cow’s milk and beef may lead to rheumatoid arthritis in people who are already genetically predisposed. The bacterium may be a common trigger for both rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease is also an inflammatory disease, and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation say that it affects up to 780,000 U.S. adults.

What do these two diseases have in common, apart from being characterized by inflammation? Quite a lot, actually, according to new researchrecently published in the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.

Both of these conditions share a similar genetic background and are often treated with similar immunosuppressants, because both illnesses are autoimmune disorders.

These similarities intrigued the authors of the new research, who are: Saleh Naser, who is an infectious disease specialist at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando; Dr. Shazia Bég, who is a rheumatologist at UCF’s physician practice; and Robert Sharp, who is a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical sciences at UCF’s medical school.

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